In the Heart
by Please Delete No Longer In Use
Summary: AU.What would happen if Starfire hadn't met the Titans on Earth and had instead teamed up with RedX?And what would happen when they came face to face with a certain Boy Wonder?
1. Meeting X

**In the Heart**

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**Summary – AU. What if, when Starfire came to Earth, she never met the Titans and ended up working as a criminal alongside Red X? And what will happen when they arrive in Jump City and come face-to-face with its resident heroes and a certain Boy Wonder?**

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**Prologue – Meeting X **

The small, beautiful girl resting against a tree in one of the many Gotham City parks stirred slightly as the Sun rose in the east. It cast its warm glow upon her and bathed her in its golden light. The girl's eyes fluttered wearily open, revealing large emerald orbs that glittered elegantly. She rose to her feet and glanced around. She was a tall girl, with long fiery red hair and delicate features. She was wearing a purple top that cut off halfway down her chest and a small purple miniskirt, accompanied by knee-length boots.

"Who is there?" she called, falling into a defensive stance. Emerald spheres flashed around her hands. There seemed to be no one else in the park, but there was such conviction in the girl's eyes that it was hard to assume that.

There was a rustle from a nearby bush and the girl spun, her hand jabbing forward. A destructive jade sphere sprung from her palm, whizzing forward and impacting against the bush. There was a muffled explosion and the bush burst into flames, almost instantly melting from the heat and power of the attack. As it hit the plant, a black-clad male flipped away from it and rolled into an attack posture, one hand extended forward. He had a long cape that rippled out behind him, and he wore a mask that covered his entire face – it was white and shaped like a skull, with a red x-shaped cross printed on it. The rest of his attire was black, except another red cross on his chest. Even through the mask, the girl could see that he was smiling, and that was confirmed by a cold and slightly menacing laugh that emanated from him.

"Whoa!" he cried, spreading his hands out before him. "I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to help you. What's your name?"

The girl relaxed a little, but a green globe still thrummed around her hand. "My name is Starfire. And what is yours?"

"Red X," the costumed teenaged boy introduced himself, gripping her other hand firmly but kindly and shaking it. "And like I said, I want to help you."

"Why? All the Earthlings I have met so far have shunned me and turned me away," Starfire told him bitterly. "Why would you wish to help me now?"

"Because most people on this planet are stuffed-up, pompous and self-absorbed," X replied. "And if you come with me, we can help to teach them a lesson…_together_." His voice took a softer, more comforting tone as he said the last word, and his masked eyes met Starfire's. They seemed to long for company, acceptance, but most of all…love.

"Thank you," Starfire said genuinely, and slipped her hands into his. "But first, I need to know more about you. My mother instructed me never to talk to strangers."

"Come on," X said, gently tugging her arm as he began to move away. "Come away with me and I'll teach you everything you need to know."

Starfire quickly nodded, and began to walk with him. As they strode through the park, Starfire slowly began to drift into the air, and gently pulled her companion up with her.

"You can fly?" X blurted out in surprise.

"Among other powers," Starfire said. "I can also shoot starbolts."

"Starbolts?"

"The green balls I shot at you before," Starfire explained.

Red X grinned behind his mask as they rose above the puffy white clouds. "Now you're my kind o' gal!" he exclaimed.

Starfire giggled innocently. "Now may I ask you a question, my friend?"

"Shoot," X encouraged.

"Why do you wear such a ridiculous costume?"


	2. The Titans

**Chapter 1 – The Titans **

_TWO YEARS LATER _

Starfire awoke to find herself sprawled out on the sofa, with Red X's arms draped around her shoulders from beside her. He was still asleep. Starfire gently removed her head from his shoulder and silently rolled off the sofa and into the air, allowing herself to hover for a moment before flying towards the kitchen. She quickly began to prepare breakfast for two, sliding two slices of bread into the toaster and pouring two steaming mugs of coffee. Buttering the toast and sliding it onto a tray along with the two coffee-filled mugs, Starfire carefully walked back into the living room, where she set the tray down on a table and seated herself next to Red X. She tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

He groaned, and sat up. "Morning, babe," he said, pecking her on the cheek.

"I prepared breakfast," the Tamaranian girl informed, biting into her slice of toast and gulping down some coffee.

"Thanks," X said, reaching for the tray. "Ready for the big move?"

"Indeed," Starfire said, but a frown formed on her face. "But I am confused. Why must we leave Star City? It is very nice here."

"But it's unsatisfying!" X said, slipping his arm around her shoulder again. "We are never challenged by anyone. Besides, we've already robbed all the places worth robbing here. And I'm getting bored of this stuffy little flat."

"I suppose so," Starfire said. "Where are we moving to again?"

"Jump City," X explained, finishing off his coffee. "It's a thriving metropolis, and has a very attractive amount of gold in its main bank, I hear."

"Wonderful!" Starfire shrieked. "And it shall be all for us!"

"Sure will be, Star," X said with a smirk. "Oh, and by the way, I bought you a moving present."

"Joyous!" Starfire jumped to her feet. "May I see it now?"

X reached behind the sofa and pulled out a small cardboard box with a red ribbon tied around it. He pressed it into her waiting hands. She began to tear through the ribbon and ripped open the box, revealing the present.

"It is…amazing." She gasped. Inside the box was a new outfit. It was the same style top, boots and miniskirt that she was wearing but in black. There was a red x symbol on the chest and a white line crossing through it. A golden belt was strapped around the costume, and another x symbol gleamed majestically in its centre.

"Put it on, Star," X urged. "You're gonna need it for our next job."

"I shall go immediately," Starfire agreed, and rushed into the bathroom.

* * *

On the edge of Jump City, a large T-shaped tower loomed over the sea, its very existence reassuring the inhabitants of their safety. For in it lived four very special – and heroic - people. They were the Teen Titans, a group of teenage heroes that protected the people of Jump City. 

The team leader was a tall, serious boy named Robin, with strong, defined muscles and spiked black hair. He wore a red, yellow and green costume with a yellow-lined black cape that hung down around him. The second hero, and the only girl, was a mysterious Goth called Raven. She was enveloped by a dark blue cloak and a hood shrouded her face. A small red gem was embedded on the bridge of her nose, while underneath the cloak she wore a black leotard and a jewel-encrusted belt. Her violet hair framed her pale face perfectly and matched her lavender eyes. The third was a towering half-machine half-human teenage boy. Part of his face was covered by a mechanical structure and one of his eyes glowed eerily red. The silver, white and blue flashes of his robot casing contrasted deeply with his chocolate brown skin. He was Cyborg. The fourth and final, Beast Boy, was a green-skinned metamorph named Beast Boy. His hair was a darker shade of green than his skin, and he had pointed ears and sharpened teeth. He wore a purple and black costume and oversized grey gloves and boots that seemed to hang from his body. And today, the extraordinary teens were doing what they normally did when they weren't battling supervillains and crooks – they were having fun.

The Main Room was in bedlam. Crumbs and chunks of half-eaten mouldy food littered the floor, and one of the sofas was overturned. The kitchen area was covered with piles of plates, some of which mounted higher than some of the Titans themselves. The fridge smelt horrific and was filled with blue-furred food, which Robin found out when he opened it.

His nose wrinkled at the pungent stench that wormed its way into his nose, and he quickly grabbed a can of coke and shut the door. He turned and strolled out of the kitchen and into the Main Room. Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing a racing game on the Gamestation, their thumbs working away at the controller furiously and their mouths working just as hard shooting insults at each other. Raven was seated in the darkest corner of the room, her hood down for once, but her face was buried in a large, leather-bound book. Robin didn't fancy getting in the way of Beast Boy and Cyborg's argument, so he worked his way through the mess to Raven.

"Hey Raven," he greeted. There was no reply as the girl continued to read, so an uncomfortable silence between the two echoed on for a few moments. To make conversation, he added, "What are you doing?"

Raven looked up from her book. "Reading. What does it look like?" she said dryly.

"What book?" Robin enquired.

Raven sighed, and replied, "You don't wanna know."

Robin glanced at the cover, and he tied not to let out a horrified and scared squeak. "No, I don't think I do."

Before anything else could be said, a shrill wailing cut through their activities and a bright crimson light flashed through the room. The four Titans instantly gathered around the large computer in the room. Robin hit a button, and an image popped up onto the screen – it was the Jump City Bank, with smoke coiling out of the entrance. Flames licked the air eagerly.

"Titans, move out!" Robin commanded, and the team swiftly dispersed, darting out of the front door and towards the bank.

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AN: _So, what did you think? Good or bad? I know it's kinda short, but I'm saving a lot of stuff for later. Next chapter - the moment you've all been waiting for! Starfire and Red X vs the Teen Titans!_


	3. First Encounters

**Chapter 2 – First Encounters **

Robin swung across the skyline, dropping down in front of the bank. He whipped out his bo staff, which instantly extended, and two explosive disks in one fluid, practiced movement. Raven was already levitating in the air behind him, and Beast Boy swooped down from above in the form of an eagle. He morphed into his human form and dropped to the ground in a crouch beside Robin. Cyborg drew up beside them in his T-Car, quickly leaping out and readying his built-in sonic cannon.

"Titans ready!" Robin barked at the rest of his group. He had expected the villains to rush out to confront them immediately, but no one came, and he wasn't going to wait around all day. "Fine then. If they aren't gonna come out to play, then maybe we'll have to force them out." He drew back his arm and hurled the explosive disks at the inner bank door that lead to the vault. As the disks spun through the air, green globes of energy bit at them from the shadows. The explosive energy within was unleashed. It rushed at the Titans too swiftly for them to dodge. It blasted them away, stunning them, but another set of blazing green spheres (accompanied by a brief red and black flash) slammed into them from behind, sending them skidding into the bank.

Their attacker quickly revealed themselves as a teenage girl.

The four Titans stumbled dazedly to their feet, but another black-clad figure, this one a male, appeared from behind them. His booted feet slammed into Robin's head, felling the Boy Wonder instantly, and then the criminal somersaulted forward, twisting in the air to face his opponents.

"You lot are no challenge for Red X and Starfire!" he yelled.

They dashed forward, but his gloved hands pulsed with crimson energy, and the blood-red laser stabbed through their ranks, cutting the three remaining heroes to the floor.

"I thought these kids would prove to be a challenge," Red X commented. "They proved to be as effective as toddlers throwing building blocks."

"Indeed," Starfire said, melting the hinges on the vault door. It collapsed, hitting the ground with a deafening crash. She entered the vault, her companion close behind. They rapidly began to lift bars of gold into large sacks that they had kept folded in their belts.

"Ugh!" X grunted as he hauled one of the gold ingots and dropped it into his sack. "Even with my suit's built-in superstrength, these gold bars are damn heavy!"

He looked to Starfire, who was plopping ten in her sack at a time with relative easer. "It is not a difficult task for me, Red X."

"It wouldn't be for you, would it?" X said teasingly. "After all, you are my perfect girl!"

Starfire blushed furiously. "Please, X, I do not deserve such high praise."

X opened his mouth to reply, but a birdarang slammed into the back of his head at full force. He was instantly bowled over.

Robin stood behind him with a triumphant grin, the other Titans gathered round. "How'd you like that building block, X?"

Starfire zoomed into the air and hurled starbolts at the teens. Cyborg dived to the floor and rolled into a crouch, his sonic cannon aimed at the alien girl. He fired, and she was swatted from the air. Red X snapped back to his feet, but was greeted only by the rock-hard tail of a green brontosaurus.

"Azerath metrion zinthos!" Raven called, and a black aura enveloped Starfire and tossed her back against the wall as hard as possible. X hauled himself up to his feet, but Robin was already whirling his bo staff into the delinquent's face. X flew back, but he managed to slam his booted feet into the Boy Wonder's face as he was hit, and the hero toppled to the ground. Raven turned to attack Red X, but was blasted away by a green starbolt from behind. She zoomed toward Red X, but a large, scaled green snake appeared before her and slithered swiftly up her body, constricting quickly as it went. Cyborg rushed to help, but X flipped into his path, his hands glowing.

He fired another laser just as Cyborg fired his sonic cannon. Sky blue light clashed with blood red as the two lasers clashed viciously. Red eventually overcame the blue, and Cyborg was thrown from his feet. X took a gleaming x-shaped cutter from his belt and slashed it at the snake around Starfire. There was a muffled squeal, and the snake reverted to its human form as it writhed in pain on the floor. Robin and Raven rose to their feet as Red X and Starfire fled the bank, Starfire flying away at full speed and Red X firing a grappling hook.

The two Titans instantly followed, Raven pursuing Red X and Robin chasing Starfire. The Boy Wonder fired his grapple gun, and swung through the air. His prey was no more than twenty metres ahead; she seemed to be distracted out of worry for her criminal companion (who was currently dodging cars hurled at him by Raven). Robin used his momentum from the last swing to throw himself forward, swinging around a flagpole and propelling himself toward Starfire again. This time, he hit her. She tried to wriggle free of him, but he latched his arms around her and held on as tight as he could. Starfire careened out of control. Robin braced himself as they dived uncontrollably down at the roof of an office block.

Starfire pulled herself up at the last moment, but it was too late – they hit the rooftop, and hard. They slammed into the concrete, vibrations rippling through Robin's arms and hurling him back. He felt skin scrape away from his elbows as he slammed them into the concrete to slow himself down. Starfire spun off from Robin and slammed into a ventilation hut on the roof, smashing through its brick wall and colliding with an electrical system. She was blasted back across the rooftop by powerful volts of electricity. She let out a single cry of pain before falling silent. Robin dragged himself to his feet and jogged over to her body, ignoring the pain that racked his body. He knelt down beside her, and checked for a pulse.

"No…" he muttered breathlessly. There was a pulse, but it was fading. He had to do something! Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and sealed his lips to hers. It lasted for a few moments before he drew away, and began to press down on her chest, counting away to himself under his breath. He began to breath into her mouth again, and pulled away. She coughed weakly, and her eyes slowly and wearily opened.

"You saved my life," she realised in amazement. Their gazes locked, and there was a comfortable silence for a few moments as they studied each other's reactions. "Than - uh!"

Her sentence was cut off as Red X swung by, catching Starfire and pulling her through the air with him as he went. They vanished behind another building. But all Robin could say was: "Wow."

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AN: _This isn't a very good chapter, I know, and it is short, but review anyway!_


	4. Slade

**Here we go, another chapter of In the Heart... here's where it starts to get interesting. Expect to see more characters from the series popping up soon, as well as variations of episodes from season 1...and expect some HUGE shockers! anyway, on with the story!**

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**Chapter 3 – Slade **

The Warehouse District of Jump City was not a nice place to be at night. An eerie wind whistled through the cold, damp streets and the Moon's silvery light shone only on the old, rickety warehouses on the seafront. The sea itself was the only thing that broke the almost deafening silence that resounded through the area with a calm, rhythmic slopping against the sand. However, this night was different.

The water crashed and thrashed in rage as thunder struck its destructive chord in the velvet black sky overhead. Lightning spidered across the gathered clouds, adding light to the sound. Even the weather seemed to be reacting to the strange foreboding that tingled in the air. And there were footsteps. A tall, elegant woman wearing a pinstripe business suit strolled along the seafront, ignoring the rain that hammered down on the umbrella she was holding aloft and adjusting the expensive glasses that sat on the bridge of her nose. She had an odd lime-green colour hair that fell down in locks to her waist; it bounced playfully as she walked. Her steps were brisk strides that took her farther than many fully-grown men's steps would. She halted at the door of one of the warehouses, and rapped her knuckles against the wooden door.

"Enter," a cold, menacing voice beckoned from inside. "I've been waiting."

The woman pushed open the door and stepped inside, tossing her umbrella aside and running five dagger-sharp nails back through her hair, all of which were painted green. "Hello, sir," she responded,

"Wintergreen," the voice greeted, and this time, a figure revealed himself in the shadows. He was sinewy and heavily built, with an orange and black mask covering his face. Heavy metal armour plates were strapped to his shoulders, chest, and both sets of limbs; although they appeared to be extremely difficult even to lift, the man appeared to walk with them easily, even casually. A black leather belt completed the costume.

The woman named Wintergreen nodded politely, and answered, "Slade."

Slade turned away from her and walked away, heading back into the shadows. Wintergreen immediately followed him into the darkness. A shiver ran down her spine as almost impenetrable blackness surrounded her. "We'll obviously need better lighting systems in here," she commented.

"No." Slade ended the discussion before it had even started.

Wintergreen didn't argue. She knew that the price for resistance could be death. But she didn't mind – in fact, she liked her job. It gave her a thrill that other jobs couldn't give, a rare rush of adrenaline as she fought off security guards alongside her master. She _loved _her job more than she loved life itself, and she wasn't about to give it up because of the possibility of death. Fear, after all, was an emotion for weak, insignificant fools, and Wintergreen refused to be on of those. "May I ask a question, master?"

"If you must," Slade replied, climbing some wooden stairs that creaked as though they were going to snap as he stepped onto them.

"Why here?" Wintergreen enquired. "Why Jump City? Most of our operations -no, all of them – were in Star City, and then you suddenly decided that we should move here. Why?"

Slade reached the top of the stairs, where he had to step over a rusty old spanner. Old boxes and crates littered the upper level, and the wind whistled through cracks in the wooden walls. He stopped suddenly, and turned to face her. She let out a small gasp at the abrupt movement, but calmed when he answered, "Because _they _moved."

"Who, master?"

"My future apprentices," Slade replied as though she were stupid, and pushed aside one of the crates to reveal a laptop perched on another box. He flipped it open and tapped on its keyboard, his fingers flying over the keys. A picture of an alien girl hurling a jade sphere and a boy in a black costume with a white mask filled the screen. "Here we go, Wintergreen," he said proudly, gesturing to the screen. "My future apprentices…"

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**Sorry its so short, but the next one will be pretty long. i might update again tonight, but most probably tomorrow or later this week. and remember...read and review!**


	5. Sibling's Arrival

**I updated pretty soon, and its a long chapter (for me anyway). Hope you enjoy, and remember to review!**

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**Chapter 4 – Sibling's Arrival **

Starfire settled down on the couch of their new apartment, which was bigger than the last one and furnished more lavishly. She didn't know how Red X bought these apartments and kept their provisions up, but she suspected that it was probably all on stolen money. That thought made her heart sink even lower than it had already been – she couldn't even get away from her 'work' when she was at home, and she was beginning to doubt that her criminal ways were right.

She'd known it was illegal from the start, of course (it was hard to ignore it when police cars were racing down the street after her, sirens wailing and shrieking) but she thought that people deserved it. X's attitude toward it was that it was normal, and since he was the first Earth person to help and be nice to her, she naturally mimicked that attitude.

But since the encounter with the enigmatic boy named Robin and the rest of the Teen Titans, a strange feeling that she had never felt before had crept into her heart – guilt. It had struck her when she hurled her first starbolt at the four heroes, and it had come again when she had seen her companion attacking them too. But the last time it had come had astounded her the most – as she was dropping the money into her sack.

She had done it so many times, and not felt a pang of emotion, but this time the shame had overwhelmed her, so much so that she had wanted to drop the money and help the Titans to their feet. She knew now, in her heart of hearts, that what she was doing was wrong, but she still couldn't admit it to herself. After all, if she went against Red X, whom could she run to? The Titans viewed her only as a villain that could never change…but what about the boy, the one everyone had called Robin?

He had been very kind to her. Would he treat her with the same pleasant reaction if he saw her again? There was only one way to find out, but that involved risk – too much of it for her liking. So she decided, at that moment, to stay with Red X.

_After all_, she thought woefully, _you don't have to like something to do it. But your heart does have to be in it, doesn't it? And my heart is not in these crimes, nor does it want to show affection to Red X. So why does my mind seem to want to do both?_

* * *

The Centari Moon was a beautiful site. Lights glittered constantly, beating back the constant darkness of space and twinkling as beautifully as the stars, but in all the colours of the rainbow. The ground and craters weren't a dull grey, but a lively mix of lime green and sea blue – why, nobody knew. Littered amongst the buildings was a large spaceport. Ships were constantly filing in and out from it, the yellow glow of their thrusters joining the lights from the rest of the moon. One of the ships that docked at the spaceport on this day, however, stood out from the rest. 

It was a small battered shuttle, with markings on the side that few recognised as Tamaranian writing translating to '_Star of the Night_'. Its purple paint was chipped heavily, revealing the black undercoat. It slipped smoothly into one of the docking clamps and its hatch slid open. A tall teenage girl stepped out elegantly. Purple-black hair fell down to her waist, light rippling through it as she moved. She wore a black vest that stopped just above her waist, leaving the bottom part of her chest covered by a metal plate that ended at her waist. It was accompanied by a miniskirt and knee-high black boots outlined in silver. Her eyes were small and cat-like, matching the rest of her delicate features. She rose into the air, her eyes glowing a radiant violet as she did, and glided through the crowd to the door at the far side of the spaceport.

She dropped to the ground and stepped out onto the soft blue-green dust of the Centari moon. The moon was one of many, but this one, nicknamed 'Gem of the Galaxy', was rumoured to be the best and most beautiful. So the Tamaranian princess had come here. She took to the air again, and made her way down the crowded street. The shops were open, and the throng of customers was bustling excitedly as people shoved their way into stores already packed to the brim with many different species. There was only one shop that was relatively deserted, and even at first glance, the Tamaranian female could see why. It was a Centari gem shop, and even extremely wealthy people barely had enough money to buy one of them.

An idea formulated in her head – if she could get hold of a Centari gem, she could get very rich, very quickly. She quickly dashed to the shop, flying above the mass of aliens and humanoids so as to get there as quickly as possible. She dropped downward and landed in front of the door, pulling herself inside before she could get pushed away by the rest of the crowd. She glanced around the shop. There was only one other occupant, a small young lady wearing an exquisite white gown, beside the two shop assistants, one of whom was conversing with the other customer.

The other assistant, a pink-skinned Centari with wide green eyes and wrinkles tearing through his face, strolled over to the Tamaranian. "May I help you, Miss…?"

"My name is Kormand'r, but you may call me Blackfire, sir," the princess replied, holding her head high. "Which is the most expensive jewel you have here?"

"Come this way, Miss Blackfire," the Centari told his customer politely, and led her to a large glass case in which a glittering green gem was embedded in a soft crimson cushion. "It is two million standard credits, Miss," he informed excitedly.

Blackfire cursed under her breath. All of her money was stored back on Tamaran, and even if she had it with her, she still would have had to almost drive the Tamaranian monarchy bankrupt to gather together that amount of money! That left only one choice. "I'm afraid I don't have that much money," she said with a devious smile.

"Oh, that's a shame, Miss," the Centari said sincerely.

"That doesn't mean I won't be getting it, though," Blackfire replied smoothly, and a purple sphere suddenly sprang to life in her hand, the same phosphorescence appearing in her eyes. She rose her hand, and the violet starbolt shot from her hand to impact on the Centari's skin. The alien assistant let out a short shriek as he flew back, overturning several glass cases as he went.

The other customer and the second shop assistant snapped around to face her, but starbolts were already being flung at them. They, too, let out pained cries as the deadly energy bolts hit them. Similar shafts of energy lashed out from her eyes, shattering the glass case around the gem, which was labelled as a Centari Moon Jewel. She reached down, gripped the gem, and hung it around her neck. She turned and darted to the door, swung it open…and came face-to-face with the barrel of a Centari laser rifle.

"Come out slowly with your hands up!" the policeman with the rifle barked at the thief. The crowd had frozen and everyone had backed silently away from the jewel store. "Do as I say!" the policeman shouted again.

Blackfire's eyes burst to life and the destructive energy within was unleashed. The energy assaulted the rifle, and it instantly melted, falling to the ground as a pile of molten rubble. "Sorry I can't hang around to chat," she retorted as she winded the officer with a sharp kick to the stomach, "but I've got a tight schedule."

A blue laser bolt seared the wall behind her. Five more Centari policemen were sprinting toward her, a barrage of laserfire preceding them. Blackfire zoomed into the air and hurled her starbolts at them. One officer was hit and fell tot the ground, but the four others dodged them and continued to shoot. Blackfire tossed off another, larger purple globe that was immediately dissipated by the shots from the policemen down below. The lasers, too, however, also vanished as they impacted on the starbolts. _Brilliant – my starbolts stop the laser bolts from hitting me! _

The Tamaranian began to parry the laserfire with her own attacks. The air was lit up with bright white, purple and blue flashes as Blackfire's violet starbolts raged against the turquoise of the police. "Now we're even!" she yelled above the noise of the battle. That was when a taut wire whirled around her body, snapping her arms down to her sides and stopping any form of movement. Electricity shot through the wire, jolting through Blackfire's body, and she spiralled to the ground. The crowd had completely dispersed by this time, so she landed hard on the ground, unsettling dust as she did so.

"Got ya!" the policeman holding the handle of the electrified whip called triumphantly.

Blackfire grunted in fury and frustration at whomever in that shop had warned the police. It must have been the first assistant she had taken out, and he must have done it while she had begun attacking the other customer. "I can't let it end like this!" she groaned weakly.

Gathering all her strength together, she pushed against the cable. She felt it digging into her the flesh of her arms, threatening to slice straight through her flesh. She couldn't take the pain for much longer…the cable snapped. Blackfire was on her feet immediately, hurling starbolts randomly around her and then flitting through the air toward the spaceport.

Even the crowd that were normally gathered there had been reduced significantly – Centari police had a reputation for being careless with their shots, and as long as they stopped the criminal, they didn't care who they hit. As she entered the spaceport, Blackfire shot off another starbolt at the wall above the door. There was a muffled explosion, and rubble rained down in front of the entrance, preventing anyone from getting in or out.

The Tamaranian princess rushed to her ship, climbing in and disengaging from the docking clamp. She had to get out of here! The sound of police rifles beating away at the wreckage that was blocking the doorway could already be heard, resounding through the port. Hitting her thrusters, Blackfire manoeuvred the _Star _away from the spaceport and turned, angling herself away from the moon. She accelerated forward, pausing only briefly to lay in a course – a course to Earth.

* * *

Red X and Starfire were eating a dinner of cold pizza and chips when they heard the rumbling that echoed through the sky. 

"Strange," X muttered, rising to his feet and setting his plate down on the table. "There're no clouds out there, so it can't be a storm. Oh my…"

Starfire joined him at the window, staring through the glass to see what had caused X's gasp. A small purple shuttle was plunging down through the crowds, flame clinging to it persistently. Smoke filled the cockpit, concealing the pilot, but they could tell that the shuttle was heading straight for the park across the road.

"Perhaps we should go and investigate it," Starfire suggested.

"Perhaps!" X had already attached his cape and was halfway through the door. Starfire quickly followed, scurrying across the road and to the park. Both criminals gazed up into the sky, watching as the strange ship plummeted towards them. Starfire let out a small gasp as she recognised the ship.

"It's my si-" Before she could finish her sentence, the ship hit.

X jumped and rolled with the shockwave, but Starfire was slammed back against a tree, which promptly snapped, and washed away by a strong wave of black smoke. X caught Starfire's body as he landed, rolling up to his feet to catch her. The smoke cleared quickly, and the hatch, or what remained of it, popped open. A black-haired, flying female rose out from inside, an emerald jewel clutched in her hand and a smirk on her face.

"hey," she greeted.

"Whoa!" X mumbled. "What a babe!"

Starfire's eyelids fluttered open. "Sister…" she muttered, and then fainted.

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**Next chapter, is of course, based on the episode Sisters, but with a unique twist. RR!**


	6. Sisters

**well. my fingers ache. and i mean A LOT. 6 pages long on word, and 4 of them on one night! ouch! anyway, read on!**

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Chapter 5 – Sisters**

"And, now, I present this chicken to…" Beast Boy left a pause for a dramatic effect, and then thrust the large chicken teddy into the unsuspecting Raven's hands. "Raven! How do you feel about your spectacular win, Raven?" the changeling asked, pretending to be a reporter.

"Ecstatic," Raven replied dryly, as she pressed the chicken back into Beast Boy's arms.

"Hey!" Beast Boy protested as Raven walked away. "Come get your prize! I don't want it!"

"Then you shouldn't have won it." Raven continued on.

The Jump City Amusement Park was filled with rollercoasters, games machines, arcade games and many other things, and was lit up even at night. The Titans had been bored at the Tower, and so had come here instead. Raven and Beast Boy were at one of the 'shoot-and-win' games, Cyborg was tripping and stumbling through the park, the food and prizes he was holding overflowing in his arms, and Robin was alone on the Ferris Wheel, watching the fireworks display.

Everyone was worried about him – he had changed since he had met Starfire, the criminal at the bank. He used to be a dark, mysterious boy who put a lot of thought into his work. In many ways he had improved, but in other ways he had become even more obsessed with his work.

For example, he spoke with the Titans much more and spent a lot of time with them. He had even started playing the Gamestation, although Beast Boy and Cyborg weren't too happy about that as he had trounced their high scores on every game on his first try. But now he was truly delving more deeply into his work than ever before; he barely slept, spending his nights researching the criminal career of Starfire. He was always talking about her, not to others, but mumbling things to himself. And he always had a faraway tone to his voice and edge in his eyes, evidently thinking of the mysterious alien girl.

As he sat in his open-air chamber on the Ferris Wheel, his thoughts still lingered on her; in his mind, he studied his memories of her face intently, and wishing that he could speak to her one more time.

"I wish she was here," he muttered to himself through a mouthful of cotton candy. "I know she doesn't really want to be a criminal, I'm sure of it! I will help her…I will…Oh, the finale!"

But even as the wonderful fireworks spiralled through the night sky, etching their fantastic colours into the air, Robin still couldn't stop thinking about her. He almost wanted his communicator to start shrieking at him now, warning him that Starfire was robbing another bank, just so that he could see her.

It didn't take long for him for his request to be granted. In fact, as he was thinking about her as he exited the Ferris Wheel, the ground beneath him trembled violently, sending many of those around him sprawling to the ground. Instantly, the three other Titans were around him, Beast Boy and Raven hovering in the air, Beast Boy as an eagle, and Cyborg eagerly scanning the communicator built into his arm.

"Something's crashed in the park!" he reported. "Something big!"

"Titans, move out!" Robin ordered, and the heroes immediately dispersed.

Starfire rose to her feet dazedly, her eyesight blurred and her other four senses distorted and hazy. She glanced around the park, and memory flooded back to her. She remembered the spaceship tearing down through the sky and hitting the park…She remembered being blasted back by the resulting explosion…She remembered seeing her sister rising from the wreckage.

* * *

She waved her hand through the smoke that was uncoiling from the ship, and her ears picked up faint voices – both familiar. "Red X? Sister?"

"Starfire?" her sister's voice, shocked, came through the smoke. Then she burst through the thick blanket of smog and wrapped her arms around her sister. Starfire returned the hug just as tightly, even more so, making it hard for Blackfire to breathe.

X followed appeared next to them. "You two…know each other?"

"Indeed, X," Starfire said cheerfully, drawing away from the hug. "She is my sister, Blackfire!"

"Is Star this…'partner in crime' you were talking about, X?" Blackfire asked.

"You two know each other?" Starfire questioned in surprise.

X grinned beneath his mask. "We had a little talk while you were takin' a nap."

"Sis!" Blackfire shrieked admiringly. "You're a criminal! Me too!"

"A criminal…well I'm not really - that is to say -" Starfire felt she had to explain herself. Being called a criminal had struck her hard. Criminals were hated on Tamaran, and she, their royal princess, was one of them?

"No need to be shy about admitting it, sis!" Blackfire encouraged, and presented the Centari Moon Jewel proudly to her sister. "I just stole this for you."

Starfire's eyes widened as they fell upon the gem. "Oh, my…"

"You like it?" Blackfire said smugly.

Starfire just nodded absently, but she suddenly snapped back to the real world. "No!" She pressed the jewel back into her sister's palm. "It is stolen property! It is wrong!"

"_T'lert l'tay, Koriand'r!_"Blackfire barked in a tongue foreign to X. "_Yatre du'laz tu!_"

Starfire glared, and retorted, "_H'dax sal, Kormand'r! Heuk temma r'otar!_"

X frowned, and as much as he hated to come between the sisters' argument, he wanted to hear it. "Errrrr………could we repeat this in English, please?"

The two girls glowered at him, but before he could defend himself, a familiar voice from behind him cried, "Titans go!"

Starfire, Blackfire, and Red X swivelled on their heels to face the oncoming Titans. "And these are…?" Blackfire remarked.

"The Titans," X informed. "Kill them."

"Sure thing," Blackfire replied with a smirk, and hurled a violet starbolts at Raven, who swiftly blocked it with a black shield.

"Titans, take X and the girl, but not Starfire!" Robin ordered, taking his bo staff from his belt and extending it.

"'The girl'?" Blackfire remarked as she was cornered by Raven and Beast Boy. "That's not very polite! Call me Blackfire."

"I'll call you _Azarath Metrion Zinthos_!" Raven snapped, and a hunk of rubble from the shuttle, enshrouded in a black aura, slammed into the Tamaranian from behind.

As Blackfire lurched forward, Beast Boy transformed into a bull and charged, so as her body fell toward him, it hit his horns, and the impact hurled her back. She quickly rose to her feet to confront Beast Boy and Raven, who were approaching warily.

Blackfire dodged a giant black fist sent by Raven and tossed off two more starbolts. Raven dived to the side, letting the energy blast hurtle into a tree instead, which promptly burst in flames. Beast Boy attempted to sidestep it, but was too slow and it hit him in the chest, bowling him over.

"So, witchy," Blackfire said, turning to Raven. "Think you can take me alone?"

"Just try it," Raven retorted, her eyes and hands aglow with a fierce ebony energy.

"I'm gonna tear your bones from your body, melt your flesh away and -" Blackfire began.

"- get your butt kicked!" Cyborg finished from behind her, and fired his sonic cannon, blasting her across to the other side of the park. "Booyah!"

"Watch out!" Raven cried, and used her powers to yank Cyborg out of the way just as an x-shaped birdarang cut through the empty space that Cyborg had just filled and lodged itself firmly in the ground.

"You two are going down," X said, smirking triumphantly beneath his mask. His body was set in an arrogant, almost lazy posture.

As he stepped forward to attack, a voice said from behind him, "And what makes you think that?" There was a strange shifting noise and X turned to face an enormous tyrannosaurus rex, entirely green.

"Damn! The freak's like a one man zoo and museum, all in one!" X bit out angrily, before somersaulting away as the dinosaur swiped at him with its tail.

Blackfire quickly joined him as Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy backed the criminal up against a tree.

"This ends _now_," Cyborg told them coolly, and plunged his fist in X's stomach.

As soon as the battle began, Starfire dashed away, weaving through the park, flying above the flames that were constantly springing to life. Tears tore through the dirt and grime that clung to her cheeks as she fled. She continued running until she could hear no sound of pursuit, and dropped down to the ground in exhaustion. She let out a shrill screech, then, when Robin dropped down in front of her.

X and Blackfire heard the cry, and both instantly recognised it as Starfire. The Titans, too, were momentarily distracted, so their two opponents took advantage of it. Blackfire threw a starbolt at Cyborg's head, knocking the boy unconscious, whilst X floored Raven with a laser blast and winded Beast Boy with a swift kick to the stomach.

"Keep them down!" X shouted to Blackfire, and dashed away, heading to the source of the scream. Blackfire used her strength to wrench a tree of the ground, and then dropped it on top of the three heroes, who were all out cold. She studied them closely to check they weren't faking their state, and then zoomed after X.

"Shhh!" Robin hissed, running a gloved hand tenderly down Starfire's cheek. He moved his hand away from her face and gently slid his hand into hers, squeezing softly to reassure her. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to help you."

"Thank you for your offer, but I do not require assistance," Starfire replied, removing her hand from his and bowing her head.

Robin gripped her chin and pulled her head up so her eyes met his. "You don't want to be a criminal, do you?" he asked solemnly.

Tears welled in the Tamaranian girl's eyes, and she slowly shook her head, allowing emotion to flood out of her physically and mentally drained body. Even her lively eyes looked dull. "No," she croaked.

"Is X forcing you?" Robin questioned, fury underlining his voice. "If he is, I'm gonna -"

"He is not forcing me," Starfire interrupted. She wiped away a tear with a shaking hand before continuing. "A long time ago, a few months after I had landed here on Earth, I found the only person who could find it in their hearts to accept me, and that was Red X. No matter what you say about him, he will always be the first one who helped me, who…_loved _me on Earth."

"He's a criminal," Robin told her firmly, shaking his head in disbelief. "The people you met, the people who wouldn't accept you, were just a handful of people, most of whom were probably the dregs of society. You could have found someone better to look after you than a psychopathic thief!"

"He is not psychopathic!" Starfire snapped back, her voice beginning to sound strangely desperate. "He is a kind and hospitable human being! He is!" Tears were now streaming down her face like a constantly flowing waterfall. She flopped into Robin's arms with a weak sob, still muttering, "He is…he is…"

"It doesn't matter," Robin whispered into her ear. "None of it matters now. Everything's gonna be all right!"

"Hey, bird-boy," a voice sounded from behind them. "Get your hands off my girl!" X appeared from nowhere, and clicked his fingers. Blackfire flipped out, slamming her booted feet into Robin's chest, sending him rolling away in pain.

"_Get your legs off my boy!_" Starfire growled quietly under her breath, and flew at her sister in rage. Blackfire was bowled over by her sister's fierce attack, but parried a following emerald starbolt with one of her own, and rose to fight Starfire. "Thief!" the younger sister shrieked. "I do not want your jewels, I do not want your presents, and I most certainly do not want you as my sister!"

"Hey, calm it!" X tried to intervene, but suddenly felt a steel-capped boot slam into the back of his head.

"She's my girl now, X!" Robin cried, and threw himself at the criminal.

Violet and jade clashed, sending shard of coloured lights spinning through the air, more lively than any firework display. Starfire and Blackfire fought furiously, Blackfire bemused as to the cause but just as livid with her sister for attacking her. Her train of thought was interrupted as a fist smacked across her face. Blackfire looked up, slightly stunned, at Starfire, who was drawing back her fist for another punch. This time, though, her hand glowed green, and as she struck it across her sister's face, the force of a starbolt tore through Blackfire's body.

"Uhh!" she grunted, but gathered enough strength to dodge Starfire's next punch.

"You shouldn't have touched Robin or spoken to Red X!" the younger Tamaranian screeched.

"You can't have both of them, sister!" Blackfire yelled back. "So, decide – this 'Robin' or X?"

Starfire stopped for a moment, but then her face was lit up with rage. "STAY AWAY FROM THEM!"

Then the battle really began. Starfire slapped aside her sibling's starbolts with her own and parried Blackfire's physical attacks with swift dodges and even more ferocious attacks that forced her opponent on the defence again. Blackfire lunged for Starfire, but her target slipped aside and thumped the back of her head, sending her crashing down and into a bush.

Blackfire threw another starbolts, but Starfire plummeted down, diving away from the attack and hurled a bolt of her own. The ball of phosphorescent energy burned into Blackfire body. There was a rush of air as the air escaped her lungs…and she was unconscious.

Starfire turned to locate X and Robin, but there was a large rumble from above. She gazed upward to see a large pink robot with thick pink tentacles and a gleaming black midsection burst down from space. The clouds clung to it as it ripped down through them, racing toward the burning park. It rushed past Starfire and halted near Blackfire.

"SUBJECT: IDENTIFIED," it said loudly and clearly in a mechanical voice. "JEWEL THIEF: APPREHENDED. DESTINATION: CENTARI MOON." It enveloped Blackfire in its tentacles, and rocketed back off into space, leaving a thick, smoky trail.

"Huh!" Starfire grinned triumphantly. "That will show you, sister!"

Starfire dropped to the ground just long enough to see X blasted back into the trees of what was left of the park. Robin turned to face her, his face bruised and battered.

"I heard you," he informed, a smile tugging at the edge of his lips. "'My boy'? What was all that about?"

"I also heard you," Starfire said, also smiling. "You addressed me as 'your girl'. When did I agree to such a thing?"

They both grinned at each other playfully, and Robin stepped forward. "Starfire, I have to tell you something."

Starfire felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle in anticipation. "Go on."

Robin looked anxious and hesitant, but continued anyway. "Starfire, I -"

X leapt out from the flames surrounding Robin and Starfire and grabbed the Tamaranian by the arm, yanking her into the shadows. "Next time, bird boy," X had shouted, and then they had vanished.

"Damn!" Robin yelled, and buried his fist in his other hand. "Next time will be the last time, X!"

* * *

AN: **there it was, what did you think? remember to RR!**


	7. Rooftop Reflections

**Chapter 6 – Rooftop Reflections **

Starfire was perched on the edge of the roof of a warehouse, watching the sea roil and churn, slapping against the wall in rage. Gentle gusts of wind tossed loose strands of her blazing red hair about, and the rain drenched her to the bone. But she didn't care. She was absorbed in her own memories – those of Tamaran, of X, of her parents…of Robin. She had met him only a short while ago, yet she found it hard to stop thinking about him. And when she thought about him, she thought about herself, as a criminal. And when she thought about herself as a criminal…she thought about what her mother would think. Memories drifted lazily into her head.

-**flashback- **

**_5 years earlier _**

_"Mother, why must we fight these Gordanians?" Koriand'r, or Starfire, had asked. _

_Her mother, Luand'r, had smiled at her daughter's innocence and ran her soft fingers through Koriand'r's hair. "My daughter, life is not peaceful. You know what they did to you, Kormand'r and…your brother." _

_Koriand'r had bowed her head at these words. Three months ago, the three heirs to the throne had been kidnapped. Myand'r, her younger brother, had been tortured and killed. Herself and Kormand'r had been experimented on, no better than guinea pigs in a lab. The experiment had given them control over extraordinary powers of flight, among others. The Tamaranians had declared war on the Gordanians after Koriand'r and Kormand'r had escaped, and chaos had ensued. _

_"I know, mother, but why do we have to go to battle so…eagerly?" Koriand'r had questioned. _

_Luand'r cupped her daughter's jaw in her hand and bent down to meet her eye to eye. "We are merely eager to defend our planet. But you cannot be here while it goes on, Koriand'r. You must leave." _

_Tears had trickled down the young girl's face at this. "But mother, I do not wish to leave! This is my home!" _

_"And in order to let it go undamaged," Luand'r had said gently, "you may have to sacrifice living here." _

_"What do you mean?" _

_"Kormand'r has already left, but if the Gordanians learn that one princess still remains, they will storm the palace, and many lives will be taken," Luand'r informed her. "Now, go. Galfore is waiting for you. He has packed your things." _

_A tall, imposing man with defined muscles and a short, unkempt appeared from around the corner. He was Myand'r, the king of Tamaran and father to Koriand'r. "Goodbye, daughter," he said and had hugged her tightly. "Be safe and well." _

_"Goodbye, father," Koriand'r had replied tearfully, returning the hug with all of her heart. _

_He had drawn away from her then, and turned to his wife, gripping her hands and pecking her on the cheek. "It is time, my love." _

_"Of course," Luand'r had said with a nod, and then they left the palace, and Koriand'r's life, forever. For as Starfire flew away as fast as she could, a bag slung over her shoulder, she watched through watery eyes as the King and Queen of Tamaran were slaughtered by the Gordanian army. And as she floated throughout the blackness of space, weeping openly, she had never felt more alone. _

**-end flashback- **

Was she, herself, like the Gordanians? After all, they had done everything that she was doing now – stealing, looting, plundering…killing. She had never killed before, but would she go that far? What if X told her to? What if she would be caught if she didn't take someone's life? Would she murder someone, just like the Gordanians had done to her brother?

**-flashback- **

**_8 years earlier _**

_Koriand'r was thrown into the small cell along with her sister, Kormand'r, by a burly Gordanian guard, armed with a plasma cannon. _

_"Watch through the window" the guard had barked gruffly as the door slid shut. "You'll find it very…entertaining." The guard had laughed loudly had walked away, his thudding footsteps dying into the distance. _

_"Kormand'r," Koriand'r groaned weakly, dragging herself to her feet. Her skin was flaky and pale, her usually vibrant eyes were a dull, grass-green and she was covered in bruises and scrapes. "Kormand'r, where is Ryand'r?" _

_"I don't know," Kormand'r croaked in reply, and pulled herself up to gaze out of the window. She let out a shocked gasp. "Look, Koriand'r!" _

_Koriand'r rose to her feet with a struggle and joined Blackfire at the thin window. Ryand'r was being carried in, his limp body strapped to a stone slab. The Gordanians placed him unceremoniously on the floor in the middle of the lab-like room, which was filled with vials, computers and bubbling liquids. _

_A smaller Gordanian arrived, and began to plug Ryand'r up to several different machines. Then he hit the 'on' switch and fifty thousand volts of electricity jolted through the Tamaranian prince's slight frame, killing him instantly. Harsh, cruel laughter echoed through the lab, and Koriand'r cried into her older sister's arms. _

_Later, when Koriand'r and Kormand'r had escaped, Koriand'r had been alone with her mother, just after the funeral. "Mother," Koriand'r had started tentatively. "Why did the Gordanians kill Ryand'r?" _

_Luand'r had turned to a daughter then, sorrow etched into her face." Because they're criminals. Cheap, common criminals. Promise me, my daughter," she said softly but firmly, "promise me that you will never do the things that they do." _

_"I won't, mother," Koriand'r had replied. "I promise I won't." _

**-end flashback- **

Starfire sighed dejectedly. She had broken her promise. The Tamaranian girl looked to the stars that twinkled in the night sky above her. "What am I?" she whispered to herself.

"Whatever you want yourself to be," a monotonous voice answered from behind her.

Starfire turned to see Raven of the Teen Titans hovering just above the roof, enshrouded in the darkness. "You make your own destiny, Starfire, not X. Speaking of him, where is he?"

"He is away, in Star City, collecting some of the things we left behind," Starfire replied, rising to her feet and frowning. "Tell me, Raven, I am your enemy, yet you do not attack. May I enquire why?"

Raven nodded. "Of course. You are not my enemy, Starfire. You may be a criminal, but I know, just as you do, that you don't want to be one."

Starfire sighed. Was it that obvious to everyone? And if Raven knew, did Red X know too? "Help me."

Raven was taken aback by the two simple words that that had popped softly from Starfire's mouth. "What?"

"Help me," Starfire repeated, her tired eyes meeting Raven's. "I am confused as to what I am, and I believe you can help me understand."

Raven opened her mouth to answer, but there was a deafening rumble, followed by a mushroom of fire sprouting up from a street in the distance. "Looks like trouble," she said, her voice as calm as ever. "I've got to go."

"Allow me to accompany you," Starfire insisted. "I wish to help you!"

Raven looked doubtful, but eventually nodded. "Let's go!"

* * *

**AN: so how was it? remember to R&R! im gonna start doing polls each chapter now, and this chapter's poll is:**

**SHOULD MAD MOD APPEAR IN THIS STORY?**


	8. Confrontation with the HIVE

**i tried to make this chapter a little longer - enjoy, and dont forget to R&R!**

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* * *

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**Chapter 7 – Confrontation with the HIVE **

A young girl with pale skin and small, feline eyes watched as fire rushed into the sky before her. She wore a skin-tight black costume, with her sleeves dangling down over her hands. Her pink hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, and her slim mouth was pulled into a grim smile.

"That should get their attention," she said softly. "Good job, Gizmo."

"Did you expect anything less from the master of technology, Jinx?" the boy called Gizmo squeaked back in a high-pitched tone. He was a small boy, wearing a dark green bodysuit with a metal pack strapped to his back. He pulled his large goggles away from his eyes, pushing them upward to rest them on his bald head.

"Master of technology my butt!" Jinx retorted with a cackle.

"Will you two shut up and give me a hand?" the third member of the group grunted as he emerged from the flames with a large sack slung over his shoulder. He was Mammoth, and anyone who looked at him could tell why; he was huge and sinewy, his thick muscles bulging out from his limbs. His large fists looked too big even for his body, and his feral face, complete with fangs and shaggy brown hair, looked even more vicious than usual. He wore a black costume with yellow plates locked around his shoulders and knees.

"What have you got in there?" Gizmo asked, hitting a switch on his belt. Instantly, a small pole shot out from the top of his backpack, with rotor blades attached at the top. The blades began to spin like a helicopter, and he rose into the air, dropping down onto Mammoth's other shoulder and peering into the sack. "Ooooh! A widescreen TV!"

"Mammoth, you idiot!" Jinx hissed, making her burly companion flinch. "What do you think you are doing? This is a mission to get Starfire and Red X's attention so the boss can recruit them, not a robbery!"

Mammoth bared his teeth at the smaller girl. "The boss didn't say we couldn't loot the store once we've blown it up!"

"The boss didn't," a new voice came from above. "But I did."

The three HIVE villains looked up to see a girl wearing a blue cloak hovering above them – Raven, a Teen Titan. Starfire was in the air next to her. Jinx grinned as the trio moved into a well-rehearsed battle formation. Raven and Starfire's hands began to glow. "Surrender," Raven told them calmly, "or prepare for a whole world of pain."

Jinx responded by hurling a boomerang of phosphorescent pink energy. Raven dodged the attack and dropped downward so she was only levitating slightly above the pavement. Jinx somersaulted forward, kicking at her opponent as she landed. Raven swiftly blocked with a solid black shield, and then unleashed a kick of her own that sent Jinx sprawling to the ground.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven cried, and a nearby lamppost was suddenly ripped from the concrete by a powerful black aura. It wrapped itself around Jinx, securing her tightly, and then Raven took a step forward. "Who are you are you?"

"We are the HIVE," Jinx told her proudly as she struggled against the crushing grip of the lamppost. "I'm Jinx, and the other two are Gizmo and Mammoth. And by the way, they're currently kicking your alien friend's butt!"

Raven's glance quickly swivelled to see Starfire barely flipping away from three large mechanical claws from Gizmo's backpack. Raven moved to help the Tamaranian, but at that moment, there was a flash of pink energy and Jinx broke free of her bonds.

* * *

Starfire vaulted forward and leapt into the air, rolling aside to avoid a swipe from Gizmo's mechanical claws. She shrieked as two enormous feet impacted on her back, sending her spiralling down to the ground. Mammoth grinned at the success of his strike and slammed his fists into the ground. A shockwave rippled along the concrete, but Starfire flew into the air again and sent her attacker skidding away with a starbolt to the chest.

"Hey, alien chick!" Gizmo whined. "Aren't you supposed to be on our side? We came to recruit you, not fight you!"

"I do not care what you came to do!" Starfire snapped, gritting her teeth. "I am going to stop you!" With that, she unleashed a flurry of starbolts at the gadget whiz. Gizmo threw himself back on his mechanical legs, avoiding the first wave of energy attacks, but the assault continued.

He began to swat the bolts away with his robotic legs, deflecting them away from himself, but one of the starbolts slipped through his defence and clipped his backpack, which promptly burst into flames. Gizmo cursed as he was tossed forward by the small explosion and was caught by Starfire.

"You shall pay for the damage you have done today," Starfire snarled, oblivious to the danger approaching from behind her.

Gizmo smirked. "I don't suppose it would do any good if I said look out behind you, would it?"

Two vast clawed hands gripped Starfire's shoulders and squeezed hard, forcing her to drop Gizmo. Then, Mammoth, the owner of the hands, tossed Starfire over his shoulder, slamming her into a garbage bin. Trash was sprayed everywhere.

"You're going down!" Mammoth roared, bounding towards her.

"I will not be going into the downwards direction!" Starfire yelled, but was unable to stop Mammoth slamming his shoulder into her chest and smashing her through the window of a fast food restaurant. Little did he know that this would only give Starfire an advantage…as he found out a few seconds later as he got a steaming hot pan of chips, fresh off the fryer, in the face. This was followed up by a squirt of tomato ketchup in the eyes and a sharp punch to the stomach. Groaning in pain, Mammoth collapsed.

Gizmo cursed as the Tamaranian flew toward him, a starbolt ready in her hand. "Jinx! I could use your help over here!"

* * *

Jinx heard Gizmo's cry after a skilled somersault away from a car hurled at her by Raven. Her head swivelled to see the smaller boy only just rolling away from an energy bolt that scorched the ground that he had been standing on just a second ago. That was when she heard "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" and saw long, telekinetic knives protruding from each of Raven's fingers.

"This ends _now_, Jinx," the female Titan called, and the knives sprung from her fingers.

They came too fast for Jinx to evade, and embedded themselves in the girl's skin. She shrieked in pain, but bit down on the agony and tore each one out of her skin. Raven just watched, her face expressionless. The Titan shifted into a defensive posture, and glared at her enemy. Jinx narrowed her eyes and let loose a flurry of pink energy balls. Raven formed a shield around herself, blocking the barrage, and then formed a giant fist above her head.

"As I said," she said calmly, allowing the shield around her to dissipate as the attacks ceased, "this ends now."

The fist lanced forward, narrowly missing a wide-eyed Jinx as she dived away. It twisted, launching itself at its target once again. Jinx rolled away and came up into a jump, kicking off one of the walls on either side of the street and somersaulting backwards to land behind a car. The fist hit the vehicle, shattering the glass and causing a metallic screech as the metal of the car was twisted and crushed with roiling black energy.

"Looks like I'm too fast for you, Raven!" Jinx called to her opponent triumphantly. Raven only gave a small smile, and watched as a second black fist knocked the girl unconscious from behind.

The heroine turned to see Starfire clip a leaping Gizmo on the shoulder with a starbolt. The tiny villain spun in the air before landing with a _thud _on the ground.

Starfire glanced around at the chaos, noting the limp, lifeless bodies of Gizmo, Mammoth and Jinx. She began to giggle and leapt into the air in excitement. "We won!" she cried, overjoyed.

"Yeah," Raven confirmed with a brisk nod. "We won. Now, do you see the benefit of fighting for the good?"

Starfire's smile disappeared and she appeared hesitant to answer. "Raven, you do not know how hard it would be for me to change. You do not understand my position, nor my relationship with Red X!"

A loud noise suddenly filled the streets before Raven could answer, that of a motorbike accelerating. A muscular figure on a red and black bike came into view, skidding to a halt between the two girls. The rider removed his helmet to reveal Robin.

"Starfire!" he called, leaping off his bike and sprinting over to the alien girl. He gripped her arms in glee. "I you that was amazing! You've finally seen the light!"

"Hands off, Boy Blunder!" Red X appeared from an alley, jabbing Robin's gloved hand away from Starfire's arm.

"X!" Starfire exclaimed. "But you were in Star City!"

"I got contacted by somebody who was interested in employing us," X explained, gesturing to the three HIVE members. "These kids were just trying to tell you the same thing."

"You can't force her to work with you!" Robin growled, and slammed his foot into X's chest. The criminal grunted, but then retaliated with a fist to the face. Robin caught a second punch and aimed his fist at his opponent's face. The delinquent stumbled backwards, and Robin swept his legs out from under him.

X rolled back and jumped to his feet, holding his arms out in front of him. His gloves shimmered red as the energy within surged outward. Robin flipped to the side, grabbed a dustbin lid, dented from Raven's battle with Jinx, and used it to deflect the laser back at X, who ducked beneath the stream of energy. The two enemies rose to face each other once again, and a green globe of energy cut into the ground beneath them, calling their attention to Starfire.

"Do not fight! Please, just let us leave for any more harm is done!" she pleaded. Neither combatant could resist that sorrowful voice. Robin gritted his teeth as X dashed away and jumped into Starfire's arms. The two rose into the clouds, and vanished.

* * *

An awkward silence filled the air, as Raven came up beside Robin and gently calmed his mind with her powers. Sirens wailed in the distance, signifying that the police would be here soon to take the HIVE villains to jail.

"Don't worry, Robin," Raven said, emotion showing in her voice for once. "She'll see X for what he really is. I promise you."

Robin just gazed helplessly up to the sky, hoping against all hopes that his friend was right.

* * *

Starfire and X entered their apartment through the window, and the Tamaranian immediately headed for the bathroom to clean up. She was stopped however, by X's hand fastening onto her arm. He squeezed as hard as he could.

Starfire screamed in pain. "Red X! Please stop! You are hurting me!"

X ignored her cry and struck her across the face, silencing her protests. "Now, traitor, we need to talk."

"No, please, X! Do not hurt me!" Starfire pleaded, but she could only watch as his fist came down again.

"TRAITOR!" he yelled, and continued to hit her. And her screams echoed down the streets of Jump City…they may have faded in the city itself, but in Starfire's bruised head, they never ended.

* * *

**AN: Did you like my cliffhanger? next chapter youll find out** **why red x is hurting star and just how bad he really is...be prepared for a major development next chapter! R&R!**


	9. Traitor!

**AN: This is a really short chapter, because it's only a build-up to the next few chapters! Remember to R&R - no flames! And this is NOT the end of the Red X hating Starfire sub-plot!

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Chapter 8 – Traitor

Starfire didn't even think to resist as X hit her, and finally tossed her onto the sofa. "Thought you were really clever, didn't you?" he sneered as the Tamaranian girl groaned weakly. "Pretending to be my friend, my partner, when you had all those sneaky little moments with the Boy Blunder and went and fought crime with that Goth witch."

Starfire forced herself to stand and face X, her eyes pulsating. "X, you must understand! Robin is my friend!"

"Oh really?" X bellowed. "Who helped you? Who rescued you when you first came here?"

"Do _not _shout at me!" Starbolts formed in the girl's hands as she rose into the air, suddenly looking extremely formidable.

X didn't appear to be intimidated, and waved her on with his hand. "Go on then. Shoot me."

Starfire hesitated for a moment before allowing the starbolts to dissipate in her hands. "Please do not hurt me."

"Heh. You'd be lucky." X grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her downwards so she was on her knees before him. "You know what you are? You're a traitorous little hag! I don't see why I shouldn't just throw you outta that window right now. You've got some serious making up to be doing. First of all, you're gonna go get me my comm. I've got a call to make. A call that will affect both of our lives…"

* * *

Miles away, the criminal mastermind Slade chuckled sadistically as his communicator let out a shrill ring. He retrieved it from his side and clicked it on. "Red X? Yes…I'm glad to hear you have accepted my offer. I already know exactly where you are." He cut the line and rose. "Wintergreen! I need you to collect my new apprentices."

Robin was slumped on his bed, gazing out at the rain that was hammering against the windows, pounding down against the glass mercilessly. The door to his room slid open and there was a metallic crunch as Cyborg stepped inside and sat beside him on the duvet.

"Don't worry, man," he comforted after a brief silence. "We'll find her."

"No! No we won't!" Robin snapped, jumping to his feet and slamming his boot into the wall. Splinters appeared in the concrete." "She's lost!"

"Robin, calm down!" Cyborg gripped his friend's shoulder firmly but gently. "We're gonna rescue her!"

"Grrr!" Robin broke free of his friend's grasp and kicked the wall again, but harder this time. A chunk of the wall broke away.

"Don't get so stressed, man!" Cyborg shouted. "Trust me! We will find her! I promise!"

Robin dropped to the floor with a heavy sob. "No, we won't. I've got a strange feeling…that something is not right…"

* * *

It was midnight when Wintergreen led Starfire and Red X through the rain and into Slade's underground complex.

"Ah, my apprentices…" Slade greeted the hardened criminal and the naïve, bewildered Tamaranian. "Wintergreen, you may leave."

"Yes, sir," the lime-haired servant replied with a slight bow, and melted away into the shadows.

"So…Red X, Starfire, my new apprentices…" the criminal mastermind said clearly with a malicious chuckle. "Jump City will not know what has hit it."

"So, what's our first job, boss?" X questioned.

"Boss? I prefer 'master." Slade slowly and steadily withdrew a long cylindrical staff from his belt. "Do either of you two know what this is?"

Starfire nodded sheepishly. "A combat staff."

"Correct. Do you know how to use it?"

X nodded. Starfire swallowed, and reluctantly did the same as her partner.

"Good…" Slade tossed one to X, one to Starfire, and withdrew one for himself, falling into an attack stance. "Now let's see just how well you two fight!" He launched towards the two unsuspecting teens with a ferocious battle cry, and the battle began.

* * *

Outside, on the training grounds of Titans Tower, Robin and Cyborg prepped the assault course. The half-man, half-machine teen had suggested that the two of them try it out so that Robin could release his stress and anger on something other than his bedroom wall. Cyborg set the start timer for five seconds and took his position beside Robin on the assault course.

"Five…four…three…two…one…begin assault course!" the mechanised voice droned.

The two Titans sprinted into battle, not knowing that miles underground, a similar battle was raging between two ruthless criminals, and a reluctant Tamaranian female…

* * *

**AN: As I said, short! R&R!**

**Next chapter: Cyborg feels the fury of Robin's temper, Red X and Starfire face Slade in a training session, and the two new apprentices get their first mission...don't miss Apprentice Part 1!**


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